Action Comics #677: “In Love and War”

Love can make people do some crazy things. Now that Supergirl is in love, how will Superman react after he finds out with whom…?

Creative Team

Roger Stern (Writer), Jackson “Butch” Guice (Penciler), Denis Rodier (Inker), Glenn Whitmore (Colorist),
Bill Oakley (Letterer)

Mike Carlin (Editor), Dan Thorsland (Assistant Editor)

Published: May 1992 by DC Comics

“In Love and War”

Action Comics #677, written by Roger Stern, is a story about love and family. It is no secret that love makes people do and say things that have the probability of coming back to bite them later on. This is exactly what you see in this issue. But add in the element of a concerned family member, and you have the workings of an “earth-shattering” misunderstanding.

The beginning of this story reveals that Supergirl is a clone of the original Supergirl. Our clone, in some twisted way, falls in love with her creator. Seems poetic, right? Till we discover that her creator is Lex Luthor. Please note that this is happening on another world. This is not the same Lex Luthor we are accustomed to. Nevertheless, events take place, causing the “new” Supergirl to flee and take up residence on Earth.

Some time goes by before Supergirl happens across Lex Luthor II of Earth. Needless to say, all those feelings from the previous Lex start to take hold with this Lex. Which is not communicated to Superman till he is watching a live interview of Lex, and Supergirl is introduced as his love. I’ll let you fill in the blanks on how Superman reacted to that broadcast.

Superman, angry and dismayed, tracks down Supergirl to discuss this newly sparked relationship. The conversation starts even-tempered but quickly escalates. It’s obvious that Superman is not a fan of Lex to begin with, so it is no surprise that he would not approve of this courtship. After a slip of his tongue, Superman is blasted through the air by a blast from Supergirl.

After multiple strikes from both parties, here comes Lex to the rescue. Verbally shaming them for acting like children and resorting to a physical altercation. But Lex is hiding his true intentions for Supergirl, and she is too smitten to see them. Bringing the conclusion of this story to Supergirl telling Lex she loves him, and Superman is still dazed and confused about Lex’s intentions.

This story offers two lessons within the panels. The first lesson is to be careful who you willingly give your heart to. Of course, one can never truly be certain about the character of the one they love. That is when a leap of faith comes into play. The second lesson is in regard to family members. Do not be so harsh and quick to judge another relative’s love interest. Pushing too hard on your ideals and thoughts could present a divide within the scope of a family. Be supportive from a distance, till it’s time not to.

Artwork

The late Jackson “Butch” Guice (1961-2025) does stellar work on these panels. The details in Supergirl fawning over Lex look like it comes right out of the panels into live action. The same can be said of the aggression during the fighting panels as well. This issue is really a work of art from 1992.

My Thoughts

This story took me by surprise! I was not expecting to see Supergirl as a clone, let alone falling in love with Lex Luthor. But the way the dialogue directs you through the “relationship” is mesmerizing. Seeing the overprotective family dynamic from Superman was an expected touch based on his morals. The separation of romance and action panels is well-crafted. I give kudos to Jackson “Butch” Guice for that. This really was a fun issue to read, and you do not have to be a biased Superman fan to enjoy it. If able, I do hope you find a copy of this book to add to your collection!

Grade: 9/10

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